Ridley Scott’s 2021 biographical crime drama House of Gucci focused on the infamous Gucci family and how their luxury brand went from being a family-owned business to ending up as a public listing. From romance to jealousy, betrayal and murder, the film is filled with drama from the very beginning itself. By bringing in a set of brilliant actors to take over the roles of the well-known Guccis, the film delivers some phenomenal performances.
With the film being based on Sara Gay Forden’s 2001 book, the question is what exactly are exact representations of the drama that went on within the Gucci family and what is fictional. The film begins with the statement that it was “inspired” by a true story, in turn, suggesting the incorporation of fiction. Here are some instances in which the film replicated and some that were mere inventions by the writers.
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Fact: Maurizio and Patrizia Met at a Party
United Artists Releasing & Universal Pictures
House of Gucci focuses on how Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) bumps into Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) while attending a party. They met in 1970 and as the film suggests, the two personas were quite contrary to one another, with Maurizio being tall, awkward and shy and Patrizia being quite social. Maurizio has regarded his romance with Patrizia as “love at first sight”.
Fiction: The Small Details of Their Meeting
United Artists Releasing & Universal Pictures
However, there are several additions which the film makes to focus on the romantic relationship between Maurizio and Patrizia. Even though the film shows Maurizio making a cocktail for Patrizia at the party, there was no evidence to suggest that it actually happened. Moreover, it is possible that Patrizia stalking Maurizio and bumping into him intentionally were mere additions to the film to illustrate her eagerness to pursue a relationship with the Gucci heir. There is also no suggestion that Patrizia wrote her number in lipstick on Maurizio’s bike.
Fact: Rodolfo Did Not Trust Patrizia and Disowned Maurizio
As shown in the film, Maurizio’s father, Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons) did not approve of Patrizia. Rodolfo’s mistrust of Patrizia’s true intentions in the film reflects the true sentiments of the real Rodolfo. In real life, Rodolfo goes on to disinherit Maurizio, which is also portrayed in the film. Afterwards, according to Forden’s book, Aldo Gucci tries to convince Rodolfo to bring back Maurizio into the family. This has been depicted in the film as well, with Al Pacino taking over the role of Aldo.
Fact: Paolo’s Fashion Line
Scott ensures that the film emphasizes on Paolo’s horrible fashion-designing ability, with almost every Gucci head disapproving it and showing their disgust in the designs. However, Paolo ends up running his own fashion line, which is then interrupted by the police for copyright issues. Interestingly, this actually happened in reality, but there was a slight difference as it was not a fashion show that was stopped but a handbag launch.
Fiction: Maurizio was Charged and Acquitted For the Forgery
Following Rodolfo’s death we see Maurizio and Patrizia being shown his will, which was not signed. Then, Maurizio is being accused of some sort of signature forgery, and thus, we see him fleeing to Switzerland in order to escape the financial police. However, the film does not disclose as to whether he was charged or acquitted. While it is true that Maurizio did flee on his bike to Switzerland, it is also a fiction that he did not get charged. In fact, Maurizio was charged for the forgery and then, these charges were dropped in 1989.
Fact: Pina Was a Close Confidant of Patrizia
As the film accurately portrays, Pina was a close friend of Patrizia and played a prominent role in helping her murder Maurizio. Following her arrest, Pina was considered the “middle woman” of the murder. During an interview with DailyMail, she stated that, while in prison, Patrizia offered her “100 million lire (£36,000) to take the blame” which she refused. Pina went on to reveal that Patrizia would say “I am Mrs Gucci” whenever she was referred to as the “daughter of a waitress”. This has been hinted out in the film as we see Patrizia refusing to stand up to the judge when he calls her “Señora Reggiani” and responds by saying that he can call her “Señora Gucci”.
Fiction : They Did Not First Meet Over a Phone Call
Even though the film somewhat accurately captures the close friendship between Pina and Patrizia, it fictionalizes their first meet-up or how they actually met. According to House of Gucci Patrizia sees an ad of Pina on TV and decides to call her while it is being broadcast and be a live caller. She then goes on to ask about her future. However, in reality, Pina had never practiced black magic or fortune-telling. The two women met each other at the Excelsior spa hotel in Ischia. The meeting was a random occurrence.
Fact: Investcorp Bought Gucci and Tom Ford Helped Revive It
Following Paolo’s inability to find success in Gucci and his need for money, we see Nemir Kirdar (Youssef Kerkour) buying his shares. Kirdar, as pointed out by the film, is the founder of Investcorp, which is a global alternative private equity group in Bahrain. As the film correctly points out, Investcorp also buys Tiffany and co. Ultimately, Investcorp did end up buying Gucci. Moreover, Tom Ford became one of the creative directors of Gucci. His collection gained wide acclaim and much praise, in turn, helping Gucci resurrect itself.
Fiction: Kirdar’s Gucci Loafers Did Not Have A Gold Leaf
In the film, we see that Aldo figures out that he was being betrayed by his nephew when he notices Kirdar’s shoes. He goes on to explain its rarity, since it was a design he specifically made for Clark Gable, and how it has a gold leaf under the sole. While it is true that Gucci made a pair of loafers for Gable, the loafers having a gold leaf was an addition by the screenwriter. Clearly, the addition helped create suspense and further drama in the film.
